Underscoring apparatus for typewriters



Aug. 11, 1931. MANLY 1,818,078

UNDERSCORING APPARATUS FOR TYPEWHITERS Filed NOV. 9, 1929 Imienlor E0[2. Man 7y A tlorneys Patented Aug. 11, 1931 UNITED STATES ROY H. MANLY,OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA UNDERSCORING APPARATUS FOR TYPEWRITERS-Application filed November 9, 1929. Serial No. 405,883.

My invention relates to typewriters, more particularly to anunderscoring apparatus therefor, and has for its object the provision ofapparatus of the character designated which shall be simple ofconstruction, reliable in operation, and which shall be efi'ective tounderscore a line of writing simultaneously with the typing of the line.

A further object of my invention is to provide an underscoring type barmounted on the typewriter adjacent the striking point of the regulartype bars, together with means for selectively operating theunderscoring type bar in response to movement of the typewriter carriagewhen operating the usual type bars.

A still'further object of my invention is to provide an underscoringtype bar pivotally mounted on the undercarriage of a.

typewriter with its upper end positioned before the platen to one sideof the' striking point of the usual type bars, together with meansresponsive to movement of the platen carriage for striking theunderscoring type bar as the platen carriage comes to rest after theoperation of the usual type bar.

-A1further object of my invention is to provide an underscoring type barfor a typewriter, together with means' for operating the type bar inresponse to movements of the platen carriage, whereby a continuous lineof characters maybe typed across a page by movement of theplatencarriage, such for example, as by means of tabulator mechanism.

As is well known, in manuscript writing on a typewriter, it often occursthat it becomes necessary to underscore words or lines. With typewritersas usually constructed, it is necessary to first type the line and then0 back over the work to underscore it. n accordance with my invention, Ihave provided a mechanism whereby the underscoring of words or sentencesmay be carried out simultaneously withthe typing of the words to beunderscored. In carrying out my invention, I provide aspecialunderscoring type bar and pivotally mount the bar on the undercarriagcbfthe typewriter to 50 one sideand in advance of the striking point of theusual type bars. The lower end of the underscoring type bar extendsbelow the carriage and there is provided underneath the carriage amechanism which may be selectlvely brought into operation whereby the'55 lower end of the underscoring type bar is struck a blow just as theplaten carriage is coming to rest after moving in response to theoperation of the usual key levers. The striking of the underscoring keylever may be accomplished by mechanical means operable in response tomovement of the platen carriage or by electrical means also operable vin response to movement of the platen carriage.

Apparatus embodying features of'my invention is illustrated in theacompanying drawings forminga part of this application, in which Fig. 1is a sectional view of a typewriter 79 equipped with my invention takenalong the line 1-1 of Fig. '2;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing the position of theunderscoring character with reference to the type bar guide;

Fig. 4 is a conventional View of escapement mechanism for the platencarriage; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing an electrical means'for operatingmy invention. ,4

Referring to the drawings for a better understandmg of my invention, Ishow a typewriter embodying a frame 10 and only such other parts thereofas are necessary to an understanding. of my invention. 1 The typewriteris equipped with the usual key levers l1 and type bars 12 operable bythe key levers. At 13 is shown the undercarriage of the typewriter, theundercarriage being shown in its raised position, it bein understoodthat it may be raised and lowere by any suitable means and which formsno part of my present invention. Mounted on the undercarriage 13 is aplaten carriage 14 95 with a platen 15 which is adapted to be moved fromside to side on the undercarriage 13. To this end, the platen carriage14' is provided with a depending rack 16 having connected thereto a coilspring 17 through 100 carriage i g m v a tape 18, the spring 17 servingto pull the platencarriage from right to left and the VJV band ingppgsition to the spring 17, as is well understood. A convent1onalescapement mechanismfor controlling the platen carriage 14 is shown inFig. 4 and comprises a pinion 19 meshing with a rack 16 and anescapement wheel 21 rotatable with the pinion 19. Engaging theescapement wheel 21 is an escapement pawl 22 pivoted to some suitablepart at 23 and 0 erable by means of a universal bar 24 w ich is struckby the type bars 12 every time one of the type bars is operated.

Mounted on the undercarriage 13 in front of the platen 15 is a type barguide 26which, in accordance with my invention, is made wider than theusual type bar guide as may be seen in Fig. 3. Mounted in the type barguide 26 is an underscoring type bar 27 carrying an underscoringcharacter 28- The type bar 27 being located to the left of the strikingpoint of the regular type bars 12 and shaped to normally form a part ofthe type bar guide 26. The underscoring type bar- 27 is pivotallymounted intermediate its ends at 29 to the undercarriage 13 so as toalways occupy the same relative position vertically with respect to theplaten 15.

The underscoring type bar 27 is normally contact with the platen 15 byA; A4! 1151 Uu; U1. means of a relatively light spring 30. Connected tothe lower end of the underscoring type bar 27 is a link 31 which in turnis connected to an arm 32 of a striker bar 33. The striker bar at itsinner end has mounted therein a roller 34 and is connected at its otherend to a bell crank 36 mounted at 37 on a lug 38 on the frame 10.Connected to the bell crank 36 is a push rod 39 having a push button 41mounted on its outer end. Surrounding the push rod 39 is a spring 42which *ars against a shoulder 43 on the rod 39 and a lug 44 on the frame10 so that the push rod 39 is normally biased to an outward position.Formed near the outer end of the push rod 41 is a notch 46 and 'ashoulder 47 ad'acent the notch.

ounted in brackets 48 on the frame 10 is a rock shaft 49 carryin a latcharm 51. Surrounding the rock sha t 49 is a coil spring 52 engaging thelatch arm 51 so that it bears against the outer end of the push rod 39at all times. When the push rod 39 is shoved inwards by means of thebutton 41, to move the roller 34 into position as will be describedlater, the latch arm 51 drops into the notch 46 and holds the push rodin its inward position. When the latch 51 is removed out of the notch46, the spring 42 shoves the push rod 39 outwards to its originalposition, the latch then riding on the shoulder 47.

Formed on the platen carriage 14 is a second rack 56 which meshes with apinion 57 carried by a shaft 58 mounted in suitable bearings 59 in therear of the frame 10. On the lower end of the shaft 58 is'a gear 61, andmeshin with the gea 61 is a pinion 62. Th pinion 62 is mounted on acountershaft 63 journaled in bearings 64 in the frame 10. The gear ratiobetween the pinion 57, and the gear 61 and pinion 62 is such that thepinion 62 makes one revolution for each movement of the platen carriage14 in response to operation of one of the key levers 12. J ournaled onthe shaft 63 is a hammer member 66 which is connected with the pinion 62by means of a spring 67. Mounted on the upper end of the shaft 63 is acam 68 having mounted therein a pin 69 which is adapted to engage thehammer 66 and limit its rotary movement with respect to the pinion 62and cam 68.

Pivotally mounted on the frame 10 is a pawl 71 which is biased by meansof a spring 72 to a position in the path of the hammer member 66 andwhich carries a roller 7 3 adapted to bear against the cam member 68.The cam member 68 is provided with a protuberance 74 adapted to engagethe roller 73 and move the pawl 71 out of the path of the hammer 66. Thepawl 71 is provided with a pin 76 which extends upwardly through a hole77 formed in a shifter bar 78. The shifter bar 78 is connected to anupstanding arm '79 carried by the rocker shaft 49, so that when the pushrod 39 is in its outer position and the latch 51 is riding on theshoulder 47, the pawl 71 is'pulled out of the path of the hammer 66. Theother end of the shifter bar 78 is mounted in a bracket 81 carried bythe frame and is provided on its outer end with a shoulder 82 whichengages with the bracket 81 when the latch 51 is shifted to ride on theshoulder 47 and holds the shifter bar 78 in its outer position.

The shifter bar 78 is also provided with a notch 83 adapted to beengaged by a pin 84 carried by the cam 68 when the platen carriage 14 ismoved by hand from left to right to commence a new line of typing. Whenthis action occurs, the pin 84 engaging the notch 83. moves the shifterbar 78 to the right (upwardly as seen in Fig. 2) to disengage the latch51 and permit the push rod 39 to move outwards and interrupt theoperation of the underscoring type bar. The shifter bar is biased towardthe cam 68 by means of a light spring 85 to insure the pin 84 engagingwith the notch 83 when the shifter bar 78 is in the position shown.

At 86 I show the usual ribbon elevator, and a bell crank lever 87pivotally mounted at 88. The elevator 86 is provided at its lower endwith a slot 89 through which the upper arm of the bell crank 87projects. The outer arm of the bell crank lever lies immediately behindthe roller 34 on the striker arm 33 when the striker arm is in operatingposition as shown in Fig. 2.

ing the spring 67 When the protuberance 74 of the cam 68 comes againstthe roller 73 of the pawl 71, the pawl is lifted out of the path of thehammer 66, releasing it and permitting it to strike the roller 34 of thestriker bar 33.

This transmits motion to the underscoring.

type bar .27, causing it to strike against the platen 15. At the sametime, the lower arm of the bell crank 87 is struck by the roller 34,causing the upper arm 87 to fly upwards and strike the ribbon elevator86, moving it in the path of the underscoring character 28.

The hammer 66 is so located that it strikes the roller 34 just as theplaten carriage 14 is coming to rest after being moved in response tooperation of the type bar 12. Thus, a character is typed by the type bar12 and is immediately thereafter underscored by the un derscoring typebar 27 and character 28.

When a line is typed, and the platen carriage 14 is moved by hand in thereverse direction against the force exerted by the spring 17, the pin 84on the cam 68 engages in the notch 83 on the shifter ,bar 78 and movesthe shifter bar over with the pawl 71, moving it out of the path of thehammer 66 and disengaging the latch 51 from the notch 46. The push rod39 then moves outwards to interpos e the shoulder 47 in the way of thelatch 51. When the shifter bar 78 is thus moved, the shoulder 82 holdsthe shifter bar out of the path of the pin 84. When the push rod 39moves outwards, it shifts the position of the bell crank 36 and thestriker bar 33, moving the roller 34 out of the path of the hammer 66 sothat the roller 34 is not struck by rotation of the hammer 66 nor is themovement of the hammer 66 alternately interrupted and released by thepawl 71. The action just described also occurs whenever the latch 51 islifted manually out of the notch 46. v

It will be understood that the terms underscoring type bar andunderscoring character are used in their generic sense and that anysuitable character may be employed which may be found desirable torepeatedly impress upon a page. It will also be obvious that repeatedoperation of the type bar is accomplished upon movement of the platen 14to the left so that a continuous line of characters may be made whenmoving the carriage as by means of tabulator mecha-. nism, not shown.

It will be seen, with the apparatus so far described, that the platencarriage spring 17 must be under sufiicient tension at all times toeffect the operation of the hammer 66. Where electric power is readilyavailable, I may operate my underscoring type bar 27 by means of anelectrical hammer as shown diagrammatically in F ig." 5. In accordancewith this modification I mount on the lower end of the shaft 58, acommutator 91 having contact points 92 corresponding to the number ofteeth in the pinion 57. Bearing against the commutator 91- is a brush 93made of some non-conductive material, but having a contact strip 94adapted to be brought into contact with the contacts 92 of thecommutator 91. The brush 93 is pivotally mounted on a bar 96 through atriangular slot 97,-so that, when the commutator 91 is rotating in thedirection shown by the arrow, which is the direction it rotates uponmovement of the platen carriage 14, in response to operation of the typebars 12, the contact strip 94 bears against the commutator 91. When thecommutator 91 is rotating in the opposite direction, which is thedirection it rotates when the platen carriage 14 is being moved to theright in opposition tothe spring 17 the non-conducting part of the brush93 bears against the commutator 91.

The contact strip 94 and commutator 91 are in an electric circuit 95controlled by a switch 98 located at any suitable point. Included in thecircuit 97 is a coil 99 having a core 101 which carries a hammer 102positioned to strike the lower end scoring type bar 27 when the circuitis completed. The core 101 is normally biased by means of a spring 103to pull the hammer 102 away from the lower end of the underscoring typebar 27.

It will be noted in Fig. 5 that one of the contact points 92 has justpassed the contact strip 94 on the brush 93. This is the position ofrest of the platen carriage after the operation of one of the usual typebars 12. It will thus be seen that the underscoring type bar 27 isstruck just as the platen 15 is coming to rest after a character hasbeen typed by means of'the usual't-ype bars12. When the platen 15 ismoved to the right, the position of the brush 93 shifts so that thecircuit 95 is not completed and the underscoring type bar 27 is notoperated. 1

While I have shown. my invention in but two forms, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible ofvarious other changes and modifications, without .departing from thespirit thereof, and I desire therefore that only such limitations shallbe placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art, or as arespecifically set forth in the appended claims.

of the undera What I claim is: e

1. In a typewriter, type bars, a platen car.- riage movable in onedlrection upon operation of the type bars and manually movable in the opsite direction, a platen, a type bar gui e in front of the platen, anunderscoring type bar pivotally supported in front of the platen andhavin its striking end disposed in the type bar gui e, the lower end ofsaid underscoring type bar depending below the carriage, power actuatedmeans operable in response to movement of the platen carriage uponoperation of the type bars for striking the lower end of saidunderscoring type bar, and means for automatically disengaging the poweractuated means upon a reverse movement of the carriage.

2. In a typewriter embodying type bars and a frame with a movable platencarriage and an escapement mechanism for limiting movements of theplaten carriagein one'direction controlled by the type bars, a platen onthe carria e, a type bar guide positioned in front of the platen, anunder carriage, a type bar bearing an underscoring character pivotedintermediate its ends to the under carriage and hav-in its characterbearing end positioned to one s1de in the type bar guide, andcontrollable means operable upon movement of the platen carriage inresponse to operation of the type bars to impart motion to the other endof the lever to cause the un- I derscoring character to strike.

3. In a typewriter embodying a frame with a movable platen carriage andan escapement mechanism for limiting movements of the platen carriage inone direction controlled by the usual type bars; aplaten on thecarriage, a type bar guide positioned in front of the platen an undercarriage, a type bar bearing an underscoring character pivotedintermediate its ends to the under carriage and having its characterbearing end positioned to.

one side in the ty e bar guide, and controllable means opera le uponmovement of the platen carriage in response to operation of the typebars to impart motion to the other end of the underscoring type bar tocause the underscoring character to strike, said means being so disposedthat the underscoring type bar strikes'as the platen carriage is comingto rest after movement in response to operation of the usual type bars.a

4. In a typewriter embodying a frame with a movable platen carriage andan escapement mechanism for limiting movement of the carriage in onedirection controlled by the usual type bars; a platen on the carriage, atype bar guide positioned in front of the platen, an under carriage, atype bar bearing an underscoring character pivoted intermediate its endsto the under carriage and having its character bearing end positioned toone side in the type bar guide, controllable means operable uponmovement of the platen carriage in response to operation of the typebars to impart motion to the other end of the underscoring type bar tounder carriage and havin its up r striking end positioned to one si e int e type bar guide in advance-of the striking point of the usual typebars, a striker bar operably connected to the lower end oftheunderscoring type bar, a hammer member for striking the striker bar,and controllable mechanism operable in response to movement of theplaten carriage when operating the usual type bars to cause the hammermember to strlke the striker bar.

6. In a typewriter embodying a platen carriage with a platen and anescapement mechanism for the laten carriage operable by the usual typears' a type bar guide positioned in front of the platen, an undercarriage, a type bar bearingan underscoring character pivoted midway itsends to the under carriage and having its upper striking end positionedto one side in the type bar guide in advance of the striking point ofthe usual type bars, a striker bar operably connected to the lower endof the underscoring type bar, a hammer member for striking the strikerbar, controllable mechanism operable in response to movement of theplaten carriage when operating the usual type barsto cause the hammermember to strike the striker bar and means for selectively movingthe'striker bar out of the path of the hammer. 1

7. In a typewriter embodying a platen carriage with a platen and anescapement mechanism for the laten carriage operable by the usual typeare; a type bar guide positioned in front of the platen, an undercarriage, a type bar bearing an underscoring ted its ends to theuuuruuun under carriage and having its upper striking end positioned toone side in the type bar guide in advance of the striking point of theusual type bars, a striker bar, 0 erably connected to the lower end ofthe un erscoring type bar, a rack on the platen carriage,

a countershaft, a gear train from the rack to the countershaft, a hammermember for striking the striker bar journaled on the countershaft, aspring connectin the hammer member to the countersha a pawl adapted tobeinterposed in the path of the hammer member to hold it againstrotation and compress the spring, and a cam mounted on the countershaftfor disengaging the pawl and releasing the hammer to strike the strikerbar during each revolution .of the countershaft.

8. In a typewriter embodying a platen carriage with a platen and anescapement mechanism for the carriage operable by the usual type bars; atype bar guide positioned in front of the platen, an undercarriage, a

type bar bearing an underscoring character pivoted midway its ends tothe undercarriage and having its upper striking end positioned to oneside in the type bar guide in advance of the striking point of the usualtype bars, a striker bar operably connected to the lower end of theunderscoring key lever, a rack on the platen carriage, a countershaft, agear train from the rack to the countershaft, a hammer member forstriking the striker bar journaled on the countershaft, a springconnecting the hammer member to the countershaft, a pawl adapted to beinterposed in the path of the hammer member to hold it against rotationand compress the spring, a cam "mounted on the countershaft fordisengaging the pawl and releasing the hammer to strike the striker barduring each revolution of the countershaft, means for selectively movingthe striker bar in and out of the path of the hammer, and automaticmeans effective upon reverse movement of the platen carriage to move thestriker bar out of the path of the hammer.

In testimony whereof, I, ROY H. MANLY,

afiix my signature.

ROY H. MANLY.

